Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Art Under The Stars!



This weekend is my Art Festival Debut at the Maitland Rotary Art Festival at Lake Lily. I want to thank all of you who gave me ideas and suggestions for my booth and merchandise over the last month on my Facebook Fan Page. I have taken it all into account and hope to have a nice looking booth. Many thanks to my dear friend Judy Segall who ultimately saved me by lending me her display panels to hang my art on! I have the best art friends.



I am the poster artist (art AND design/layout) for this show, which is why I have a booth. I am not normally a festival artist, so this will probably be your one and only time to see me in a tent with my art!

You can now access a map of the festival layout online. This is helpful if you know artists in the show and their booth number. My booth number is 85 and I am near the big stage. This is helpful because I will be ON the big stage on Saturday night from 7:30-9:30 playing my violin with the Maitland Symphony Orchestra.

The festival is open 6pm-10pm on Friday, 10am-10pm on Saturday, and 10am-5pm on Sunday.
Stop by and say hello and check out my latest 48-inch wide mammoth PEACOCK collage!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Bird Note Cards

My NEW note cards have arrived and they look GREAT! I could not be happier with the color and quality of the printing. These are glossy A2 note cards with envelopes. Each set is in a clear box with silver ribbon and contains two each of five images. Get them while they are hot, I have limited quantities!

Dog Note Cards

Set of 10 note cards with envelopes, two each of five designs. 
These adorable dogs are glossy A2 note cards, a nice gift idea for yourself or a friend.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

The Anne Marie is Helping Cherie

From Author Israel Parker
Cherie Ann Stannard and Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson

Until the End of September
Sometimes you have to do something for a perfect stranger. Not too long ago I read a story on my friend Elizabeth's blog. Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson, is a very talented fine artist who happens to be the cover artist for my first novel "The Anne Marie." 


There on Elizabeth's blog was a moving article about a woman named Cherie. I was so touched by Cherie's story, I decided to give 50% of my website book sale profits (website only -- due to royalty control) to help Cherie with her medical expenses. I will be donating these proceeds from now until September 30th. On my bookstore page I would also encourage you to read Cherie's incredibly challenging road to recovery and learn why it is so important to find it in your heart to give. 


For more information about Cherie, please visit her website at CherieStannard.com


You get a great book, and 50% goes to help a person in need at the same time. 


Israel Parker, author, holding the limited edition giclée print

It Gets Better!
On top of the donation, everyone who buys a book from IsraelParker.com during the month of September will also be entered to win a 24x18 limited edition gallery wrapped canvas giclée print of the exquisite cover of "The Anne Marie," a collage by Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson! The print is signed by both the artist and the author.

Cover art for The Anne Marie ©St.Hilaire Nelson

Turtles by Twos

Sketch and partial underpainting on cradled birch panel ©St.Hilaire Nelson

Moving along in my series of Two by Two's for my show at the Thrasher Horne Center for the Arts next year. I wanted to share with you the step by step of my pair of Painted Box Turtles. In sketching these beauties out, I knew I was going to be in trouble with all those spots...

Underpainting on cradled birch panel of male and female ©St.Hilaire Nelson

I utilized a lot of spattering with my fluid acrylics for the top background of these pieces (working on birch panel primed with clear gesso), knowing that I would leave that area as painted in the finished piece. I used my two favorite fluid acrylic colors: Gold Metallic and Quinacridone/Nickel Azo Gold. After a successful splattered, dripped and very messy background painting, I blocked in the turtles with color and value in mind. I then painted the foreground in a loose style that I thought I might like to leave showing through as paint, with only the turtles being collage.

Male (left) and Female Turtles complete ©St.Hilaire Nelson

I must tell you that tearing all those yellow spots was agonizingly slow going and I'm not ever doing another turtle again. SO, get these in a giclée print from me or purchase the originals (at the Noah's Ark Exhibition) while you can!

I went back and forth over whether or not I had added TOO MUCH COLOR which is a question I rarely ask myself. Maybe it was the fact that I was seeing spots. I bounced the .jpgs off my friend and Dog-A-Day painter Kim Santini for her opinion. Kim infuses tons of color into her paintings, especially in the blacks. I totally value her opinion. AND much of the yellow spots were created from torn bits of her acrylic palette papers she so graciously shares with me on a regular basis.

Her response was something like this "I love the color and would not change a thing, but ultimately it has to be your decision." 

How's that for definitive? LOL I went with the color. You can see they were finished in the dark from the blackness behind the blinds in my studio. After sleeping on it and returning to the easel in the morning with my coffee, I decided Kim was spot on and I was not going to tone down any of that beautiful color. 

WHAT was I thinking? 

Note: Did you know that the way to tell the difference between the male and female painted box turtle is their eye color? The male has red eyes and the female had dark brown/golden eyes!





Thursday, September 8, 2011

Cherie's Progress

Global Peace Film Festival Poster

I'm happy to say that the Global Peace Film Festival is working with me to raise funds for my paralyzed friend Cherie. They have agreed to give 50% of proceeds from the sales of posters to her charitable trust. 

The posters this year feature my original artwork and are all hand signed! 

What's the connection between Cherie and Global Peace Film Festival you ask? They are screening the film "Defining Beauty; Ms. Wheelchair America" here in Orlando. Cherie is making the trip up to Orlando from Vero Beach on Thursday, September 22 to speak at the film screening. It's at the Plaza Cinema Cafe in Downtown Orlando.

Come out and see the film and meet Cherie if you live close.
Click here to purchase your signed copy of the poster and donate to TWO great causes!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Custom iPhone Cases are Here

Butterfly

Poppies

Peacock
Manufactured by Case-Mate

I am now offering my artwork on Case-Mate high quality custom iPhone cases. This case ships to you in retail packaging from case-mate.com. They make great gifts!

Email me if you are interested in an alternate phone, I can make the cases for almost any make/model phone, just add an extra few days for production.

Shipping time is approximately 7-10 days.



Design



NEW CASES!
just added new cases by request today

Lily of the Valley

Violets

Buttercup #1

Lazy Afternoon
Cock-A-Doodle


Design